Top 15 Albums of 2018

Trying to sit down and put together a list of only 15 albums was a very difficult task. There was many things that I factored in and considered when throwing this list together and as a result, I have come up with these 15!

My Top 15 Albums of 2018 in descending order are:

15. She's No Angel - Gianni and Kyle

Gianni and Kyle have finally released their first album after many years of simply releasing some singles here and there. This nine track album has many of Gianni and Kyle's best tracks to date which include "do you even miss me at all?" , "independent" and "5 shots". While this is a short album, its great to see Gianni and Kyle putting out new music.

14. Perspectives - Send Request

In August, Pop Punk band Send Request dropped their album Perspectives which picks up right where they left off with "Make Your Move EP". As I mentioned in my album review, I believe that this album truly showcases what Send Request can bring to the table. While they have a few tracks that are similar to their older works, they also included some songs that you wouldn't necessary think you would hear from them. Overall, a great album and hence deserving of a spot on my Top 15 list.

13. Prequelle - Ghost

Ghost have yet again put out another solid record. With singles like "Dance Macabre" and "Rats!" its hard not to like this album. It even includes a few instrumental tracks which showcase Ghost's musical talent. While I don't want to take anything away from this album, I did feel that it did lack a little. I guess that I just expected a little more out of the band. Despite this, what is present on the record is good and is deserving of a spot on the list.

12. Love and Loathing - With Confidence

I was fairly excited for this album to drop this summer and With Confidence lived up to my expectations. This is a very solid album and is exactly what I wanted to hear from them. Tracks like "That Something" , "Moving Boxes" and "Jaded" are great for jamming out to.

11. Pray For The Wicked - Panic!

What's a Top Albums of The Year List without Brendon Urie? While this album has been met with a lot of praise (rightfully so), I do worry about the direction of the band. For me personally, I love Panic's older sound much more than what is on this record. Don't get me wrong, this is a very good album but its a little too "poppy" for my liking.

10. Scorpion - Drake

An album like Scorpion is a shoe in for a Top Album nomination , what Drake album isn't? Drake certainly knows how to give the people what they want and also knows how to make a name for himself. This album brought us the overplayed "In My Feelings" and "God's Plan" , but if you look deeper , there is a lot of good content. While I think this is far from being one of his best works, it is still up there. And heck, who else would be able to do a track with Michael Jackson in 2018?

9. Outsider - Three Days Grace

Before this record came out, Three Days Grace said that it would have a "One-X" vibe to it and this made me excited. "One-X" and the self titled "Three Days Grace" albums are two of my favorite albums by this band and so getting another album with that same vibe made me very happy. When the record finally dropped, I wasn't disappointed either and it was worth the wait. This album even brought me one of my favorite tracks ever in "Infra-Red". In summary, I'm really happy that Three Days Grace is back.

8. Mania - Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy had a very weird way of trying to tease this album initially which made a lot of fans think that their social media accounts got hacked but in the end, everything made sense. Fall Out Boy is one of my favorite bands of all time and they are a huge reason as to why I love music as much as I do. So when they started promoting this album, I got very nervous. I know why Fall Out Boy is going the direction that they are, its just not what I really want out of them. What I said about Panic! can also be said for Fall Out Boy in my opinion. With this being said, when the album dropped, I was surprised with how much I actually liked it. While I still don't understand what the weird llama or alpaca things are, the songs on this album are thoroughly enjoyable, especially my favorite, "Wilson".

7. Kamikaze - Eminem

Out of nowhere, Eminem dropped this album which was a huge surprise for everyone. After listening to just the first few tracks, I was proud to say that Slim Shady is finally back. After a slew of albums that were completely garbage and politically filled, Eminem finally gets back to his roots. This album full of anger and rage is exactly what Eminem needed to regain the throne as the Rap God. The amount of shots that he takes at famous figures on this record shows that Em really had a purpose in writing this. Its good to know that Slim Shady is finally back and he still has it in him.

6. Technology - Don Broco

I had absolutely no clue who "Don Broco" was when I was waiting for "As It Is" to come on stage at Warped Tour this summer but holy crap these guys slap. After seeing them, I went on Spotify and listened to their record "Technology" that they released in February. Let me tell you what, this British band knows how to write a rock record. Every song on this record is a headbanger and it makes for one heck of a time at a live concert. These guys are full of energy on stage and truly know how to rock out. This album is phenomenal and rightfully deserves a high ranking on my Top Albums List.

5. Ember - Breaking Benjamin

After taking a few year break, Breaking Benjamin finally made a return to the scene in 2018 with "Ember". This album is one of Breaking Ben's best records to date and it ramps up the complexity of their tracks to a whole new level. Ben's vocals are stellar and with the sick guitar riffs on this record, its extremely hard not to think that Breaking Benjamin is truly one of a kind.

4. Lost Touch - We Were Sharks

We Were Sharks are like Don Broco for me in the aspect that they are another band that I discovered in 2018. I happened to hear their track "Hotel Beds" off this record as a suggested track on Spotify and I was impressed. I then went and listened to this album, "Lost Touch" which came out at the end of February. From the opening track "Beyond Repair", to the final track "Always You", this album never looses its hype and intensity. In my book, what makes an album "great" is that there isn't one bad track and it doesn't lose its luster from the beginning to the end. That's what you get with this record by We Were Sharks. This album is a must listen for fans of Sleep On It, State Champs, Seaway, Stand Atlantic and Homesafe.

3. Living Proof - State Champs

State Champs had a lot to live up to after their previous album "Around the World and Back". Even though they took a few years off, this album picks up right where they left off and its almost as if they didn't skip a beat. State Champs further expanded their sound and proved that they can be more than just a pop punk band on this record.

2. Entertainment - Waterparks

It's hard to believe that Entertainment came out in 2018 because it seems that Waterparks have been touring this album forever. Waterparks really put together a solid album with "Double Dare" and that meant that people held Waterparks to a new standard. Awsten, Geoff and Otto delivered and lived up to that expectation with "Entertainment". This album is gold from start to finish. I can't even try and begin to rank the tracks on this record in any sort of order because I love them all equally.

Drumroll please.......... coming in at #1.......

1.The Great Depression - As It Is

While 2018 brought us a plethora of amazing albums, I believe that "The Great Depression" by As It Is is a total shoe-in for album of the year. I had a very hard time coming up with my Top 15 List but this album right from the start I knew would come in at #1 for me. What As It Is did with this record is unlike anything that I have ever seen before. In a world and time where mental health is becoming such a prominent issue, As It Is help raise awareness for the cause. This is a concept album that has a very intricate story that's being told by "The Poet". The tracks are separated into four different parts: "Stage 1: Denial" , "Stage 2: Anger" , "Stage 3: Bargaining" and "Stage 4: Acceptance". Over the course of the record, experiences with mental health issues are discussed as well as trying to analyze modern day society. While this album focuses more on asking questions rather than answering them, people who are struggling with their own mental health problems will still find encouragement. I commend the band for writing this record because it is such an important discussion that many are afraid to tackle. As It Is are using their platform as a way to bring light to this topic and address real issues. So many people reached out to As It Is on social media the day this record dropped, in tears thanking the band for writing this record and sending screen shots of messages that they wrote describing what this record means to them. While I could go on a rant about what this album means to me, I will just briefly make the comment that this is the most heartfelt and influential album I have ever listened to. Not only is this my favorite album of 2018, it is right up the top of my favorite albums ever.